13:19 Russian post offices to replace doctors' surgeries in the countryside
Due to a lack of medical personnel in rural areas of Russia, postal workers are taking on medical tasks in some regions, according to the "Moscow Times" on Telegram. Medical stations are being set up in rural post offices. Postal employees are supposed to conduct diagnoses and various medical interventions. Russian publicist Alexander Nevzorov referred to this practice, as reported by the "Kyiv Post," as a return to the Middle Ages.
12:58 No Agreement Among NATO States on Multi-Year Aid to UkraineNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg failed to persuade the Alliance's members to make multi-year commitments for military aid to Ukraine. The 32 Allies could only agree on providing support in the amount of at least 40 billion Euros within the next year. This was reported by the German Press Agency and quoted several delegations.
12:24 Five Dead, Over 30 Injured in Dnipro Attack (Ukraine)The number of casualties from the Russian attack on Dnipro has increased, according to Ukrainian reports, with four people dead and at least 34 injured, including a 14-year-old girl. The attack reportedly used rockets and drones, causing several explosions and fires in the city. Reports indicate that a shopping mall and a weapons factory were hit.
11:31 Ukraine Receives Additional Two Billion Euros from the IMFThe financially stricken Ukraine has received an additional over two billion Euros from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This money is part of an ongoing credit program worth approximately 15 billion Euros. The government intends to use the funds primarily for social welfare and salaries of public servants, including doctors and teachers. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has reportedly received over 80 billion Euros in financial aid from foreign partners.
11:01 Military Base in Russian Kursk on FireVideos from the Russian city of Kursk show a large smoke cloud over the city. An Ukrainian attack is said to have set several vehicles on fire at a military base in the city center. The regional governor has confirmed a fire in the city center.
10:40 Multiple Civilian Casualties from Russian Attacks (Ukraine)Russian troops reportedly fired on the village of Borova in the Charkiw region overnight. The Military Administration of Charkiw reported on Telegram that one man was killed, and two others were injured. In a Russian rocket and drone attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, at least three people were reportedly killed and 18 others injured.
10:19 Kremlin: No Dialogue with Trump over UkraineAccording to Kremlin statements, Russia is not engaged in a dialogue with former US President Donald Trump over Ukraine. This was reported by the Interfax news agency, citing a spokesperson for the Russian Presidium. Trump had stated during a recent TV debate with President Joe Biden that, should he win the November election, he would resolve the war in Ukraine before his inauguration in January.
09:46 Ukraine lacks Hangars to protect Combat jets
According to a report from the Ukrainian "Defense Express", the Ukrainian army does not have sufficient Hangars to protect all their fighter jets from Russian attacks. The newspaper reports that a military airbase in the Poltava Oblast does not have sufficient large Hangar spaces for Su-27 combat jets. Therefore, Russia has released images of a recent air raid on the airfield, in which several Ukrainian Su-27 aircraft are seen damaged in the open. The Ukraine lacked Hangars to protect all the fighters.
09:16 Defense Committee approves purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 Tanks
The Defense Committee of the German Bundestag will approve the purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 combat tanks today. "We are solving all options out", writes the new committee chairman Marcus Faber on the platform "X". "We are fully equipping the Brigade Litauen with combat tanks, replacing older Leo2 in the army and creating space for further payments to Ukraine", adds the FDP politician. According to the proposal, the order has a volume of approximately three billion Euro. The defense consortium KNDS is expected to deliver the tanks to the Bundeswehr by 2030.
08:44 Russia: Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port repelled
Russia claims to have repelled attacks from two unmanned Ukrainian mine-laying boats on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The Drones were destroyed in the Black Sea, according to the Defense Ministry. In Novorossiysk, there is a large port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Russia has stationed many of its warships used in the conflict against Ukraine there, after the Ukrainian forces attacked the ports on the Crimean peninsula. The ministry did not comment on possible damages. The authorities in Novorossiysk urged people to stay in their homes and apartments during the night.
08:21 Most Ukrainians feel unity in society
Forty-four percent of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is currently united, according to the results of a nationwide survey conducted on July 2. The Kiev International Institute for Sociology (KIIS) carried out the survey. A smaller percentage, 15 percent, consider Ukrainian society to be divided at present. Corruption is cited as the main problem, followed by language issues. Injustices during the war, collaboration, and Russophilism are also identified as factors contributing to the division within society.
07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyed over Russian territory
Russia claims to have shot down ten Ukrainian attack drones over Russian territory. Five drones were shot down over the Belgorod border region, four over the Brjansk border region, and one over the Moscow region, according to the Defense Ministry on Telegram. Additionally, two Ukrainian mine-laying drones were destroyed, which had approached the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1200 Russian casualties yesterday
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 1,180 casualties on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. Accordingly, 16 destroyed tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 other tanks and vehicles were also damaged. Two Russian air defense systems and a missile were allegedly destroyed by the Ukrainians. The number of dead or wounded soldiers on the Russian side, as reported by the General Staff, has exceeded 546,000 since the start of the full-scale invasion.
06:48 Putin arrives at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kazakhstan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan, according to Kremlin reports. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana. During the two-day meeting, issues of regional security, defense, and cooperation will be discussed. The heads of state and government of the SCO member states will discuss "the current situation and prospects for further deepening of multifaceted cooperation," according to Moscow. Putin plans to hold bilateral talks, including with China and Turkey. Representatives from 16 countries are participating in the summit - among them India, Iran, and Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected.
06:11 Ukraine rejects territorial concessions to Putin again
Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions to Russia to end the war, according to the words of Andrij Yermak, chief of staff of the Ukrainian president. "We are not willing to make compromises on important things and values," Yermak said to journalists during a visit to Washington. He named "independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty." In response to statements from Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed he could quickly end the conflict, the Ukrainian government is open to advice to achieve a "just peace." Trump said during the television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had stated that Russia would end the war if Kiev was willing to surrender the territories in the east and south of the country that Moscow claims and occupies. Regarding Ukraine's assessment of Trump's handling of the war, Yermak said: "Honestly, I don't know. We'll see."
05:42 USA releases new military aid for Ukraine
Ukraine needs urgent military supplies to counter the Russian offensive. The USA will make additional military aid available to Ukraine in the near future in the amount of approximately 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion Euros) to help Ukraine defend against the Russian aggression. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced this during a visit by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjerów in Washington. The package includes "additional air defense missiles, anti-tank weapons, and other important ammunition from US stocks," Austin explained. A "realignment of some foreign military deliveries" will also enable the USA to provide Munition for Patriot and other air defense systems "in an accelerated timeframe."
04:49 NATO strengthens presence in Kiev
The NATO is expanding its civilian presence in Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. A spokesperson confirmed that the 32 alliance members have decided to send liaison officers to the capital Kiev. The high-ranking official is supposed to oversee the political and practical support of the alliance on site. The background is mainly that NATO intends to give the starting signal for a new deployment to coordinate weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces at the upcoming summit in Washington. The headquarters for this should be built in Wiesbaden. Who will get the new NATO position in Kiev is still unknown.
03:42 UN calls for release of Gershkovich
Experts of the United Nations are demanding the immediate release of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is in Russian custody on espionage charges. "The detention of Evan Gershkovich is arbitrary" and violates several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the experts write in a statement. In light of the circumstances of the case, the "immediate" release of Gershkovich is appropriate.
02:40 Serbian President Vucic receives Russian deputy foreign minister
The Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Gruschko in Belgrade. He spoke with Gruschko about the bilateral relations between Serbia and Russia and evaluated them as "very good", Vucic said on Instagram. He also thanked Russia "for its support of Serbia's territorial integrity, as well as in relation to the UN resolution on Srebrenica". Moscow still refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence. Serbia has been an EU membership candidate since 2012, but despite the Russian intervention in Ukraine, it continues to maintain good relations with the Kreml.
01:29 Russian court sentences 19-year-old to twelve years
A Russian court has sentenced a 19-year-old man to twelve years in prison for "treason," after he was accused of donating money to the Ukrainian army. "The Rostov Regional Court found him guilty and sentenced him to a twelve-year sentence in a penal colony," it says in a comment from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, which was taken up by the state-controlled Kremlin media. The teenager is said to have sent money to help the Ukrainian army buy food and drones. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, thousands of Russians have been arrested and many of them have been imprisoned. According to Amnesty International, at least 21,000 people were the target of repression against war opponents in 2023.
00:20 A quarter of US citizens find US aid to Ukraine insufficient
Almost a quarter of Americans believe that the United States is not providing enough military aid to Ukraine. This percentage has risen since November last year, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. According to the survey, 24 percent of respondents believe that the United States is not providing enough aid, compared to 18 percent in November 2023, when the survey was last conducted. However, more Americans (31 percent) believe that the United States is providing too much aid, and 25 percent believe that the US aid is sufficient.
22:53 Lithuania reports airspace violation by Russian aircraftLithuania reports the violation of its airspace by a Russian aircraft. The unspecified aircraft of the Russian airline Pobeda allegedly entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member unlawfully on the evening of June 30th and stayed there for approximately one minute, according to the Foreign Ministry in Vilnius. The Russian embassy representative was summoned and the Russian authorities were urged to take necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The airspace violation occurred over the Baltic Sea, as the aircraft was on its way from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad bordering Lithuania. The EU has closed its airspace as a reaction to Russia's aggression in Ukraine for Russian aircraft.
22:12 Survey in Member States: Great Trust in NATO, in Zelenskyy notNext week, NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary. In the member states, the transatlantic defense alliance is generally viewed favorably, according to a survey by Pew Research. On average in 13 countries, 63% of the population hold a positive opinion, while 33% hold a negative one. Germany is slightly above the average with 64% positive sentiment. The evaluation in Poland stands out: 91% hold a positive image of the alliance there. The trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands at 40% on average and has decreased in the member states in the past year. Poland also stands out, where the head of state has lost 22 points - from 70% to 48%. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 points to 54%.
21:27 Zelenskyy rejects Orban's peace proposalUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for peace negotiations. During his first visit to Kiev since the start of the war, Orbán proposed a quick ceasefire. "This could accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow," he said. "The president listened, but in response he clarified Ukraine's position and rejected the proposal," said a spokesperson for the Presidential Administration. Kiev had already rejected ceasefires, citing the possibility that Russian forces could regroup during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow recruits minorsRussia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, Ukraine claims. The recruitment contracts are allegedly signed with minors and take effect upon reaching adulthood. "They hope to recruit tens of thousands of teenagers with propaganda," says the Ukrainian agency "National Resistance Center": "We warn that any enemy on our territory will be eliminated." On occupied Ukrainian territory, Russia also employs minors, for example, to manufacture drones.
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg failed to secure multi-year commitments for military aid to Ukraine from NATO members, settling for a minimum commitment of 40 billion Euros within a year, despite Ukraine's request for longer-term support.
- The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to an increase in casualties, with reports of four deaths and 34 injuries in Dnipro due to a Russian attack using rockets and drones. Shops and a weapons factory were reportedly hit in the attack.
- Following the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has received over 80 billion Euros in financial aid from foreign partners, with additional funding of over 2 billion Euros from the IMF intended for social welfare and salaries of public servants, including doctors and teachers.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, citing concerns that a temporary ceasefire could allow Russian forces to regroup.
- Amid the conflict, Russia has reportedly recruited minors for military service, with contracts signed to take effect upon reaching adulthood. Ukrainian authorities warn that any enemy on their territory will be eliminated.
